1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to cooking devices and methods of operating such cooking devices. In particular, the present disclosure relates to cooking devices for commercial use, especially a combi-steamer, a baking oven or a microwave oven, that include inspection systems and methods for ensuring that the food product to be cooked in the cooking device is cooked according to the proper cooking cycle/program for the type and placement of food product in the cooking device. Also, the present disclosure relates to inspection systems and methods that determine whether the cooked food product has been cooked properly and meets appropriate standards for the cooked food product.
2. Background of the Disclosure
EP 1 193 584 A1 discloses a microwave cooking device with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) (a wireless non-contact system that uses radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data from a tag attached to an object) sensor. The RFID sensor automatically identifies the food to be cooked via an RFID tag that is attached to the packaging. The cooking process can then run automatically.
WO 00/49838 A1 discloses a cooking device with a scanner. The scanner identifies a code or a symbol on the food packaging, whereupon an integrated microprocessor accesses cooking recipe data from a database.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,774,345 shows a cooking device with a bar code reader that is located at a front side of the cooking device. The bar code reader identifies the food by reading a bar code from the packaging of the food. After that, the cooking device permits or denies the cooking of the food.
U.S. Pat. Pub. 2007/0007279 shows a cooking device that reads the bar code from a packaging of the food to be cooked. The cooking device can be connected to an identification infrastructure in order to download further data for the food or for the cooking recipe.
DE 10 2005 040 206 A1 discloses a cooking device system and a procedure for cooking food, wherein an identifier for the food is provided. The identifier can have the form of a bar code reader or of an RFID sensor. Data for the food or for the cooking recipe can be accessed over the internet or from a local database.
U.S. Pat. Pub. 2002/0026325 discloses the control of a cooking procedure with data from a local network and from the internet. RFID tags are used for identifying the food.
DE 10 2008 031 378 A1 discloses a cooking device with a recognition system for the food via RFID tags, and with an automatic recognition of the tray rail in that the food to be cooked has been inserted.
EP 2 149 755 A1 discloses an oven and a method of operating the same. The oven of this document comprises a digital optical recognition device and a distance sensor that are used in concert to enable precise extraction of product-features that are relevant and used with automated heating procedures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,681 discloses a cooking system including adjustable actuators to change cooking parameters, a television digital optical recognition device that monitors the cooking area and drives a processor associated with a memory device that has stored therein different cooking cycle/programs for different food products.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,454,390 discloses an ingredient cooking operation recognition system including a sensing section having an optical digital optical recognition device, a thermal digital optical recognition device, and a microphone for sensing environmental sound.